Pop Culture Moms

Bethany Joy Lenz on 'One Tree Hill' and her book 'Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!)' Oct 22, 2024

We sit down with actor Bethany Joy Lenz to discuss her new memoir, Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While Also in an Actual Cult!). Bethany opens up about the dual realities she navigated during her years as beloved TV star, Haley James Scott–balancing the demands of a hit teen drama while secretly living under the influence of a high-demand group.

In this candid conversation, Bethany reflects on the blurred lines between fiction and reality, how storytelling became her lifeline, breaking free from codependency, and what motherhood has taught her about trusting herself. We also discussed the wildest One Tree Hill plot lines, how much her music meant to us, and asked if there is any hope for a One Tree Hill reboot.

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Catherine Reitman on 'Workin' Moms' and how representation of complex, flawed female characters benefits all women Oct 15, 2024

We sat down with the brilliant and hilarious Catherine Reitman, the mastermind behind the massive hit series "Workin' Moms." Catherine opened up about her journey from acting to becoming a writer, director, and showrunner, and how her real-life experiences as a working mom inspired the show's raw, hilarious, and often emotional stories. We talked about the challenges of balancing motherhood with a demanding career and how she weaves that authenticity into her writing. Catherine also shared some behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the set, the importance of representing complex, even "unlikable" women on screen, the power of an all-female writer's room, and reflecting on coming from a family of talented filmmakers. It was an honest, insightful, and empowering conversation that working moms–and anyone juggling multiple roles–will relate to deeply.

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Tamera Mowry-Housley on 'Sister, Sister' and the life lessons she's teaching her kids Oct 08, 2024

In today's episode, we had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Tamera Mowry-Housley, one of the iconic stars of "Sister, Sister." We dove into her early days in the industry alongside her twin, Tia, the blissful ignorance and freedom of being young and confident, and the guidance she got from her TV parents, Jackée Harry and Tim Reid. Tamera shared heartfelt stories about the ways her parents supported her while growing up in the spotlight, structure and discipline as love, and how her faith has been a guiding force in her life. We also touched on the beautiful yin and yang of sisterhood and what she admires most about Tia. This conversation was filled with laughter, wisdom, and an inspiring message about staying grounded and true to yourself.

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Rachel Platten on how motherhood has changed her music for the better Oct 01, 2024

We’re joined by the incredibly talented Rachel Platten, the voice behind hits like "Fight Song,” as she opens up about her latest album, I Am Rachel Platten. Rachel shares the personal journey behind this deeply introspective and empowering project, heavily influenced by her experiences with motherhood.

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Kelly Bishop on Gilmore Girls and liking yourself Sep 24, 2024

In this special episode, we sit down with the legendary Kelly Bishop, known to many as the sharp-witted and glamorous matriarch, Emily Gilmore, from The Gilmore Girls. Kelly takes us on an intimate journey through her life, as we dive into her new memoir, The Third Gilmore Girl. From her early days on Broadway—winning a Tony Award for A Chorus Line—to Dirty Dancing—to her iconic television roles (Bunheads, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel…), we discuss the stories behind the scenes with Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, the brilliance of Amy Sherman-Palladino’s writing, and the reason she’s Team Logan.

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Gillian Flynn on ‘Gone Girl,’ gritty women, and the darker side of motherhood Sep 17, 2024

Gillian Flynn has created some very dark and twisty moms in her books "Sharp Objects," "Dark Places" and "Gone Girl." Now she’s revealing what kind of mother she is and which of her characters she relates to most. Plus – we ask her a question that has plagued us for months, would the original Cool Girl Amy Dunne be a Cool Mom?

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Jessica St. Clair on 'Playing House,' cancer, and leaning on your friends Sep 10, 2024

Breast cancer doesn't exactly scream "funny," but comedian Jessica St. Clair incorporated her real-life diagnosis into season 3 of her hit USA sitcom 'Playing House.' Alongside her best friend and co-creator, Lennon Parham, Jessica drew inspiration from her successful cancer battle to portray the importance of female friendships for moms. Jessica talks to us about her comedy career, her precocious daughter and why having a village matters when you're not feeling your best.

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Lisa Ann Walter on 'Abbott Elementary,' 'The Parent Trap,' and mother figures Sep 03, 2024

Lisa Ann Walter plays tough-talking teacher Melissa Schemmenti on ABC’s "Abbot Elementary," but she first imprinted on our millennial minds as Chessy, the best parent in "The Parent Trap." She talks to Andie and Sabrina about how her Sicilian roots inform her portrayal of Mrs. Schemmenti, the teachers that made their mark on her, and why she’s trying to brag about her kids to her kids. Thank a teacher!

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Garcelle Beauvais on 'RHOBH,' motherhood on social media, and cougars Aug 27, 2024

Garcelle Beauvais is an actress who knows how to get real. As a beloved cast member of the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," she dazzled viewers with her elegance and honesty. Now she's starring in a new Lifetime movie, "Terry McMillan Presents: Tempted By Love," where she plays a glamorous chef who falls for a younger man. It's part of the May-December trend that’s been surfing this summer, putting women's pleasure at the forefront. Garcelle talks to us about parenting, pop culture and the younger celebrities she'd love to date. She also dishes about the time she almost quit "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and one big change listeners can expect next season.

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Leah McKendrick on egg freezing, the pressure of being a woman, and ‘Scrambled’ Aug 20, 2024

Leah McKendrick writes, directs, and stars in a film about fertility that includes ZERO - count 'em - babies. And no romantic interest to speak of! So why is her movie "Scrambled" the rom-com we've been waiting for? She plays a struggling jewelry designer who decides to freeze her eggs to buy herself more time to have children. In the meantime, she supports her friends going through big life transitions and stands up to her dad, who constantly asks her why she isn't married yet. Leah talks to us about the stress of the biological clock, milestones beyond motherhood, and turning her experiences into her first feature film. "Scrambled" is streaming on Hulu, which is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

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Melissa Joan Hart on child stardom, momagers, and ‘Clarissa Explains It All’ Aug 13, 2024

Not only did Melissa Joan Hart jump start our pop culture obsession, but she seems to have navigated child stardom with grace. We talk to the "Clarissa Explains It All" and "Sabrina The Teenage Witch" star about the characters she relate to most, eldest daughter syndrome, and what it's like working with her mom. Plus, our eternal gratitude for putting "Sabrina's" on the map. Join us.

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Julianne Nicholson on emotionally unavailable moms and ‘Janet Planet’ Aug 06, 2024

We're obsessed with the new A24 picture "Janet Planet." Director Annie Baker's debut shows the turning point between an 11-year-old girl and her eccentric mother in 1990's Western Massachusetts. Julianne Nicholson plays Janet, a single mom who relies on her daughter Lacy's advice while simultaneously craving independence. You might recognize Nicholson from the movie "August: Osage County" and the HBO series "Mare of Easttown"— she agrees with the internet that the finale should have gone down differently! In real life, she's a mom of two who wonders why PSAs had to remind parents to check in on their children at 10pm. Parenting has definitely changed since then!

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Shawn Johnson East on sports moms and how the Olympics prepared her for motherhood Jul 30, 2024

Shawn Johnson East is going to the Olympics again, this time as a correspondent for Yahoo Sports. A lot has changed since she won four medals in 2008. For starters, she has three kids! We talk to the retired Olympic gymnast about perfectionism, diet culture and how to be a low-pressure sports mom.

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Patti Stanger on ‘Bridgerton,’ romance, and mommy issues Jul 23, 2024

If you're anything like us, you're on your third rewatch of "Bridgerton" Season 3. The romance, the costumes, the steaminess: there is so much to unpack. We can't travel back in time to talk to a real-life Regency era love expert, so we were thrilled to find out that celebrity matchmaker Patti Stanger is a huge fan of the series. Andie and Sabrina talk to the Millionaire Matchmaker about her favorite "Bridgerton" moments, which celebrity couples she thinks are going the distance and what moms can do to turn their boys into Prince Charming. Patti's hot takes literally left us speechless.

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John Krasinski on 'IF,' fatherhood, and his favorite movie moms Jun 13, 2024

To celebrate Father's Day, Andie and Sabrina tackle their favorite TV dads. Plus, actor and director John Krasinski on "dad guilt," fatherhood, and what inspired his latest film, "IF."

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Tig Notaro on 'One Mississippi,' grieving her mother, and raising twins May 14, 2024

Comedian Tig Notaro joins us to talk about processing the death of her mom through her show "One Mississippi," what it's like to raise twins, and the humor she finds in parenting.

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Misty Copeland and Leyla Fayyaz on 'Center Stage' and stage moms May 07, 2024

From "Center Stage" to "Black Swan," movies and TV shows about dance usually portray a toxic world of competition, cruelty and out-of-control stage moms. We talked to legendary ballerina Misty Copeland and film producer Leyla Fayyaz about what that world is really like.

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Elise Loehnen on 'Bad Moms' and the pressure women feel to be good Apr 30, 2024

Writer Elise Loehnen helps us wade through the culture, history and family inheritances that make moms feel like we're constantly failing.

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Ginger Zee on 'Twister,' prioritizing mental health, and weathering our emotions Apr 23, 2024

ABC Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee has been fascinated by the weather since she was a kid. She talks with us about how weather, with its many ups and downs, is a perfect metaphor for life, mental health and being a mom.

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Alison Rosen on 'The Facts of Life,' IVF and maternal therapists Apr 16, 2024

There's a lot we can learn from the maternal figures in our lives and on TV, like the lovable house mother Mrs. Garrett from the 80s sitcom "The Facts of Life." Alison Rosen, host of the podcast "Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend," joins us to talk about about how she found her own Mrs. Garrett.

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Melissa Rivers on growing up with a funny mom Apr 09, 2024

TV shows like Hacks and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel portray the lives of comedian moms. Melissa Rivers was raised by the ultimate "funny mom": the legendary Joan Rivers. What was it like to grow up surrounded by her humor — and the fame that came with it?

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Katey Sagal on 'outlaw moms' Apr 02, 2024

Katey Sagal has played some of TV's most iconic moms — from Peg Bundy on Married... with Children to the vindictive Gemma on Sons of Anarchy. She joins us to talk about what she has learned from those characters, and what it was like to become a mom again in her 50s.

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Celeste Ng on moms with dark secrets Mar 26, 2024

From Little Fires Everywhere to her latest book Our Missing Hearts, bestselling author Celeste Ng is kind of an expert at getting into the minds of moms with secrets. She talks to us about why motherhood and secrecy make for such good stories.

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Chloé Cooper Jones on the joys and boredom of motherhood Mar 19, 2024

What's it like to be told your whole life you can't have children because of a disability you were born with — only to find out that you're pregnant? Writer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Chloé Cooper Jones talks to us about her unexpected journey to motherhood and her beautiful memoir, Easy Beauty.

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Deena Margolin and Kristin Gallant on parenting with empathy Mar 12, 2024

Some of the best moms on TV right now are cartoons. To discuss what the mothers in Bluey and Daniel Tiger are doing right, we speak with Deena Margolin and Kristin Gallant, the moms behind parenting resource Big Little Feelings and co-hosts of the podcast, After Bedtime with Big Little Feelings.

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SuChin Pak on reparenting ourselves Mar 05, 2024

Who needs a parenting book when you've got SuChin Pak? From what it's like to take care of your parents as they age, to convincing your kids to go to college in Switzerland, the journalist and host of the podcast Add to Cart offers all her wisdom and her take on the persistent "tiger mom" trope in pop culture.

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Heather Gay on leaving perfectionism behind Feb 28, 2024

Let's be honest: We've never looked like Barbies. But the Barbie movie really resonated with us — and with Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Heather Gay. Like Barbie, Heather's been on her own journey of self-discovery. She talks to us all about breaking out of the boxes we've been put in and creating new paths for our kids.

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Alanna Ubach on what we can learn from “cool moms” Feb 27, 2024

We're not regular moms — we're cool moms, right? The "cool mom" is an iconic pop culture trope, made famous by the original Mean Girls movie. But what are the pros and cons of being a cool mom? We're asking actor Alanna Ubach, who plays the very intriguing "cool mom" Suze Howard in HBO's hit show Euphoria.

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Introducing 'Pop Culture Moms' Feb 26, 2024

A new podcast from ABC Audio and "Good Morning America."

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